The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-08-13
The Price of Wheat.

l
poems. Sketches, skits, biographies, peep
at the Zoo
The Price of Wheat.
II Is a fact not without interest to West
ern farmers that English Agriculture
writer's are discussing the probabilities o
conditions In which that country will b,
able 10 get along without American wheat
by raising all or nearly all, its own supply
and importing the rest from India. The
idea is a little startling when the returns
for 1886 show that II required l22, 100000
bushels of wheat imported from all foreign
countries TO supply the needs of the British
people, and that of this aggregate the Unit
ed States furnished larger proportion thar
any other country-12, 600 900 bushels, Their
Canada with 100000 bushels, then Russis
with 6,sOO,O00 bushaels, and other countries
with smaller amounts. But il is an instruct
I've fact in that connection that our experts
OF wheat (and -four TO Great Britain are at
this m ment declining, and have been
declining for several years-and it is pretty
certain they must continue to do so as long
as the price of wheat in Liverpool vibrates
between 81 90 and $l.15 bushel. Ameri.
can farmers cannot afford to raise wheat
and send il to Liverpool to be sold at such
prices They are doing it now, and have
been for more than a wear; but they do not
make snything by It. On the contrary,
they actually lose 10y it, as any farmer can
plainly figure out for himself; and western
farmers are beginning to ask themselves
how much longer they can afford to raise
wheat at the present prices without falling
into serious embarrassments The price of
wheat In St Louis and Chicago to. day is
II cents bushel This means for the
Illinois and Missori farmer GO cents; to the
Western Iowa farmer So cents: and to the
farmers of Western Kansas, Nebraska and
Dekota, As cents The average yield of
wheat In this country varies from twelve
to thirteen bushels per acre, and at the
prices quoted above the Illinois and Mis-.
souri, farmer gets $720 to $3.50 per acre
Tor his crop; the Iowa farmer, $500 TO
$I15; and the farmers of Kansas, Neb.
raska and Dekota, 40 to $3.50 But it costs
all OF $6 an acre in Kansas and Dakota TO
SS 90 an acre in Illinois and Missouri TO
raise this grain and deliver it in merchant.
able condition at the nearest railroad station,
SO that at the prices that have prevailed for
two years past wheat raising has been
losing business in this country as well as
In England
1t is mistake to suppose that the rapid
extension of settlements in the west and
northwest is steadily enlarging our wheat
area. The very reverse is the fact; our
wheat area is steadily decreasing 1t has
decreased from 37,937O00 acres in 1880 |
to 81, 100000 acres in 1886; and what is |
is more significant, the average price fall |
In the same period from $l2 As per acre to
$o.49 per acrs. Here is reduction of
nearly 100000 acres it area and of 81 per
acre In the money value to the farmer. The
crop OF 1885 was 46l00O,0OO bushels-the
largest we ever raised and larger pro
badly than any crop We shah ever raise as
the present insufficient prices are so dis
couraglng as to force farmers to gradually
abandon it for crops that will pay them
better. In addition TO this the groupings
OF the same fields in Kansas, Nebraska
and Dakota are exhibiting their inevitable
effect In steady lowering of the average
yield. But while the wheat acreage in
this country is decreasing, chiefly through
the abandonment of the crop in the older
states, the population to he fed is rapidly
increasing, and this is another reason why
our exports are gradually falling of. We
need the grain to feed our population. Oar
population is about CT 0000OO and three
years hence ii will be G400O 600; and an
English writer says: Before the end Of
he present century, the present production .
u Whea- In the United States will be in
'ulilcl7nt Tor home requirements. ana the
people Of Europe will have to look else
where for that main portion of their for !
,lgn supply, which now comes across tha ,,
Atlantic. The English farmers look. there.
ore, for GeliveTanCe from the American :
competition which has been so uisastrou.
0 them In the last ten or twelve years, and
S that deliveranCe approaches they may
gam begin to raise wheat at profit They |
'oSsess certain advantages which the west
armer does not have; their yield an av. .
rage OF twenty -nine bushels per acre
early two and halt times the American {
Verage; they get twice as much per buShel
5 the western farmer receives, and they y
ave market for the straw, which the l
'eS'ern farmers is compelled to burn to get =
III OF II. This last item is not insignif.
eht one. In many parts of England wheat !.
IRA" Is worth $40 per acre, or more than L
,es'ern FARMER gets for bis crop. grain,
raw ana all. While a western farmer
ecelves only 50 30 to $3.50 per acre for his n
neat crop, the British farmer receives D
ii 1o per acre This is not living price i
lie English farmer complains that there is u
money in IT, because rent rates, ,ithes e.
1d manure are great drawback But il a
'nts can be made cheaper-and they are b
sing reduced already-and tithes and o.
tes can be diminished, then, when the e'
rice OF wheat shall advance in couse. tt
lence of the steady falling off in import.
ON the United States, the English farmer nj
encouraged to hope that he will again pl
come prosperous and beat all foreign y
'mPetltors In the work of raising wheat Sc
II the British markets.-Peoria Democrat c
n